The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1887-04-24
SEWING RAG CARPETS.
pY HnIEN FoRREsT eRAvEs.

an lnQesCTludDte uut Ny tue Bulls duu tdluS
of half century, a row of stiff Lombar
dy poplaFs in front, and beneath the win
dows, in narrow bed, outline by strips
of board, blossomed fcur o'clocks, ''youth
and old age" and gaudX African mari
colds, which seemed to hold up their or
ange tourches with distinctly defiant air.
Green paper shades yelled the windows
aud kDoeker' with an eagle's head, hung
in the upper centre of the door.
Every one has seen such houses along
the country roads where the Queen Anne,
craze has not yet penetrated. and orchids
and Japanese foliage plants are unknown.
Miss Fossett and her niece, Mary Ann
sat in the little front room servings for
carpet. A bright wood fire cracked and
snapped in the alright stove, For al
though the sun shons bright on the Afri-s
can maligolds and four o'clocks, there
was a keen wind blowing and the dead
leaves were carried in all directions. The
scat was asleep among the balls OF rags
which made parli colored mountain in
one corner of the room, and the wooden
clock licked shrilly on the shelf alongside
of case Of dried butterflies plaster of
paris parrot with Il broken beak.
Miss Fossett was elderly and spare,
with false tsfront, which did not in the
least match her back hair, and spectacles.
Mary Ann was slight and gracefully
rounded. with dark, solemn eyes, and lips
redder than wild rasberries.
To Miss Fossett everything in the world
was subsidiary, just at present, TO the fin
ishing OF the carpet sewing, To Mary
there was nothing in all the universe
which was actually impossible. There is
just this difference between sixty snd six
teen.
Il was calculatin,'' Miss Fossett
droned out, as she Dire " the swift needle
in and out, Ito get this carpet wove afore
snowfall, but l guess it'll be close shave
now. didn't know, If could get my
spare chamber cafpeted, but the school
ma'am might come here To board; and
three dollars week is three dollars a
week in these TINES"
eyes, know, Aunty, "said Mary Ann
land why shouldn't she come? We shall
soon have the carpet ready for the loom,
and, in the meantime, why shouldn't she
be satisfied with a rug or two laid down
by the bed and front Of the buIeaH?'
.'Havez't you herd" said Miss Fossett,
STOPPING to regain her spool of linen
cats snug resting-p ace The school
ma'am's going 10 be married, and the new
teacher-Eliab RaY-he boards to hum.
/ don't blleve he'll get along better th II
Hiss marston did, if he is aman teacher.
Mary AIMS eyes lighted up.
sffo be mafried?' said she.
YES nodded Miss Fossett.
"Who is she going to marry. Aunt
Fosselt9"
'.Our next ncighbsr,r said Mss Fos-
sett, grinlly."
Mr. Fairweather?Y
"Yes. MIR. Fairweather. 1t beats ALI
Miss Fossett added-"te think you
shouldn's herd it afore nowl Why,
she's goin to hey doye-colored silk
dress from Bridgeport, and store hat,
trimmed with stuffed birds and real
brochay shawl Must ha' laid up sight
o'money, should spose.
MARY Ann was sl!ent. 1t was question
whether or not she heard the stream of
idle chatter that flowed uninte ruptedly
from her aunt's lips.
For herself she sewed away, and uttered
never word.
John Fairweather to be married to Aida
Msrstonl The news had fallen like
thunderbot into the peaceful serenity of
her heart.
In novels she had read, many time
and oft, of the duplicity of man, but the
fact had never. come SO near hons before.
The two women sewed diligently at the
carpet rags until dusk. Miss Fossett had
no idea that any one could desire rest
frem so delightful an occupation, ana
Mary Ann scarcely knew what she was
doing. A sort of stusor seemed to numb
her senses.
"Gaess we'd better stop spell now,
said the old lady. Just you run out to
the we and fill the tea kettle, and | II set
out the apple sass and doughnuts and riz
biscuits. We won't hey no regular meal,
being there's such hurry with the rags
Mary Ann stuck her needle into one Of
the red flannel leaves of The housewife,
which was fashioned like miniature
book, dropped her thimble siuto her peck
ct and vanished.
She did not so straight to the well
though. She stole up the winding wood
en- stairway first into her own room, where
the yellow glow of the sunset yet fingered,
and took two or three dried rosebuds and
asprig of geranium from little box in
the corner of the table-drawer.
Locking at them for moment she
opened the window and flung them oat
into the grass below.
~ have been fool long enough, said
she to herself.
And then she went forth to the well
and filed the tea. kettle, listening vaguely
as she did 30 to the melancholy cheep-
seheep'' of the crickcis in the stone wall.
MARY Annl' voice uttered.
Mary Ann started so Violently that she
had nearly dropped the tea kettle.
II was Miss Mafston who had come un-
.aYnPctedly uDsthn Dath with n huneh of
colorsd mapleeayes in her hands.
"Ob, Miss Aida, how you startled
.me'
..Took me for ghost, eh?" said Aida
Marstcp, laughing. But / wanted 10 see
ron Mary Ann Gnndna sS me- sslntnnllr